Powerless Tses hostel sends children home for health reasons

CLOSE to 200 children in the Tses Roman Catholic Hostel were sent home yesterday because of the lack of electricity at the southern village.

NamPower pulled the plug on Tses on Monday after the Village Council failed to pay its N$195 000 electricity bill. Hostel manager Mathilda Vries yesterday said that 195 pupils were sent home because there was no water at the hostel – electricity is needed to pump water from the reservoir.”Concerns over unhygienic conditions at the hostel because of the water shortage resulted in hostel management decision to send the kids home,” said Vries.”The kids’ health comes first,” she added.Vries said it was not the first time that pupils have sent home because of power cuts at the village.”We’re paying our monthly council account on time … but frequently we have to endure these unpleasant moments of being left with no power supply,” she said angrily.The principal of St Theresa Secondary School, Pauline Vries, said the power outage also affected the school as computer classes had to be cancelled.”Learners are now forced to study for their current exams by candlelight,” she added.By yesterday late afternoon, the village still had no power, although Village Council Chairman Petrus Witbooi, said the council had paid fifty per cent of the money it owed NamPower.”We have settled with NamPower, therefore we expect them to reconnect electricity supply to the village anytime from now on,” Witbooi said.Hostel manager Mathilda Vries yesterday said that 195 pupils were sent home because there was no water at the hostel – electricity is needed to pump water from the reservoir.”Concerns over unhygienic conditions at the hostel because of the water shortage resulted in hostel management decision to send the kids home,” said Vries.”The kids’ health comes first,” she added.Vries said it was not the first time that pupils have sent home because of power cuts at the village.”We’re paying our monthly council account on time … but frequently we have to endure these unpleasant moments of being left with no power supply,” she said angrily.The principal of St Theresa Secondary School, Pauline Vries, said the power outage also affected the school as computer classes had to be cancelled.”Learners are now forced to study for their current exams by candlelight,” she added.By yesterday late afternoon, the village still had no power, although Village Council Chairman Petrus Witbooi, said the council had paid fifty per cent of the money it owed NamPower.”We have settled with NamPower, therefore we expect them to reconnect electricity supply to the village anytime from now on,” Witbooi said.